High lubricity fuel reformulation to increase mileage and reduce emissions

ABSTRACT

A fuel additive imparting high lubricity to gasoline and diesel fuels while concurrently increasing miles and reducing emissions. The fuel additive is formed of a plurality of individual components having individual and a combined synergistic effect along with components increasing fuel lubricity which are mixed with a liquid fuel-soluble carrier and added to the fuel supply of internal combustion engines.

This application claims priority to U.S. Provisional Patent ApplicationSer. No. 61/461,525, filed on Jan. 19, 2011, and incorporated herein inits entirety.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

1. Field of the Invention

The present invention relates to a fuel additive formed of a pluralityof individual components having individual and a combined synergisticeffect with hydrocarbon fuel commonly employed in internal combustionengines. Mixed with the fuel employed by an engine, the fuel andadditive mixture results in an increase in available horsepower,improved torque, and reduced fuel consumption, all while concurrentlycausing a reduction in pollutants in the exhaust from the burned fuel.

2. Prior Art

The industrialized world has, in the last century, evolved to employ theinternal combustion engine in a wide variety of circumstances, toproduce power to provide the mechanical energy to do work. While theemployment of internal combustion engines has significantly increasedindustrial output, eased the workload of millions of workers, andprovided a means to replace stock animals and bulky steam engines andthe like, with a dependable and moveable power source, it is not withoutdetriment.

Internal combustion engines run, for the most part, on liquid fuels suchas gasoline and diesel fuel which are primarily derived by therefinement of crude oil. The burning of such fossil fuels, and inparticular crude oil derived vehicle fuels such as gasoline and diesel,provide an easily transportable reservoir of energy for a mobile engine.

However, the burning of fuel in such engines is never completelyefficient. As a consequence of such inefficient combustion range,engines employing conventional gas and diesel fuel suffer from excessfuel consumption, engine knock, and carbon build up on valves, cylinderheads and pistons. Additionally, depending on the fuel and anygovernment mandated mixtures, there can be wide variations in engineefficiency. Further, engines burning such fuels have exhaust whichcontribute pollutants and greenhouse gasses to the atomosphere such asNOx (oxides of Nitrogen), unburnt He (hydrocarbons), CO (CarbonMonoxide), NO₂ (nitrogen dioxide), NO (nitric oxide) and with dieselfuel there can be significant diesel particulate matter.

Much of these problems with conventional fuels can be attributed toinconsistent burning of the fuel in the cylinders as well as the effectsof prior years of burning such fuels and the aforementioned enginedeposits and wear therefrom.

In recent decades, many various fuel additives have been proposed andprovided in attempts to improve fuel economy and reduce combustionexhaust pollutants. Such additives, however, must concurrently addressthe issues of unburnt fuel in the exhaust as well as partially burntfuel, both of which impart pollution to the atomosphere.

Much prior art has taught and suggested adding various combustionenhancers for the various types of internal combustion engine fuels.There is a wide variance on the enhancements claimed and taught by suchprior art additives which are provided in diverse forms but most aretaught as being in either a liquid state mixed with liquid carriers andsome are taught in a solid state to be mixed with fuels as directed.

Problems with both fuel combustion and lubricity have developed inrecent years, especially since fuels have been refined to remove everhigher percentages of sulfur. The extra cracking process at refineriesto do so tends to leave fuels dry or lacking in sufficient lubricity.This can have drastic effects upon vehicles running such fuels be theygas powered engines or diesel.

Diesel engines are particularly effected by excess refinement andremoval of sulfur from fuels. The increased friction and wear over timecan damage pistons, cylinders, fuel injectors, fuel pumps, and othervery expensive components. This results in excess repairs and vehicledowntime in vehicles with diesel engines which have previously beenknown for longevity and reliability.

Gasoline fuels are also becoming subject to such restrictions on sulfurcontent, in more recent government efforts to curb exhaust pollution. Amajor issue is the effect of sulfur upon expensive exhaust cataliticconverters and their lifespan and performance. The lubricityrequirements of gasoline are generally lower than for diesel enginesbecause gasoline fuel injection systems inject fuel to the cylinders atmuch lower pressures than diesel engines. But just as with dieselengines, failed pumps, hoses, and injectors, are expensive to repair.With ever more stringent government requirements, this can only getworse.

As such, there is a continuing and unmet need for an additive for fuelwhich will remedy the downside of modern fuels on gasoline and dieselengines. Such an additive in addition to providing improvements inburning of fuels during combustion, should also provide improvements tothe lubricity of such fuels to minimize or eliminate the wear and tearcaused by over refined fuels currently employed. Further, such anadditive should be reasonably inexpensive and as such, have its expenseoffset by gains in mileage and performance which will lessen the cost ofthe fuel. Such an additive should provide a significant decrease inpollutants and dust in exhaust gases. Ideally, such an additive shouldsave more in fuel and wear and tear over time, than the cost of theadditive. Finally, such an additive should be easily mixed with fuel bynormal users so as to allow widespread use.

Further while the prior art reveals numerous treatments for fuel, itdoes not disclose the unique combination of components to yield thecomponent additive to hydrocarbon fuel herein, or teach their use in asynergistic combination for providing enhanced power extraction,lubricity, and concurrent pollutant reduction with engines employingsuch fuels.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

As disclosed herein, there is a fuel additive composition for inclusionwith a major amount of a hydrocarbon fuel such as gasoline or dieselfuel employed by vehicles worldwide, along with a minor amount of thedisclosed additive fuel-soluble composition.

The disclosed additive invention provides an easy to employ treatmentfor hydrocarbon fuels such as gasoline and diesel fuel which improvesthe power output of the fuel and hence the mileage of a vehicleemploying the treated fuel. Fuel enhanced with the additive compositionherein, is better disbursed within cylinders by fuel injectors resultingin a much better combustion of the fuel. The result is a significantincrease in mileage due to the better extraction of energy from the fuelin the enhanced combustion. Further, the additive composition provides asubstantial improvement to lubricity without an attendant deteriorationin engine performance. This lubricity enhancement results in much lesswear and tear on engine components exposed to fuels over long periods oftime and operation. Thus, the present invention improves power outputand lubricity as compared to similar hydrocarbon fuels which have notbeen treated with the herein disclosed reaction products.

Still further, fuel treated with the disclosed additive compositionherein, have a significant reduction in exhaust pollutants such as NOx(oxides of Nitrogen) previously unburnt He (hydrocarbons), CO (CarbonMonoxide), NO₂ (nitrogen dioxide), NO (nitric oxide), and when employedwith diesel fuel, a reduction in DPM (diesel particulate matter) due tothe more consistent uniform fuel burn.

The disclosed fuel additive can be employed in a number of ways. In onemode, it may be mixed with a carrier liquid which is combustible andsoluble with either gasoline or diesel in concentrations adapted totreat an average tank of fuel such as 20-25 gallons. In another mode,such as for large trucks and construction and other equipment employingdiesel engines, the additive composition can be held in auxiliary tankswhich would add the mixture to fuel supplied to the engine in an ongoingfashion, thus alleviating the need to mix it with fuel in the tank orduring fueling. In another mode, the additive composition can be mixedin a concentrated form and diluted with a proper amount of a liquidcarrier such that it can be made when needed and stored in a smallerarea than if already mixed with the carrier liquid.

In all modes, when mixed with fuels for internal combustion engines thedisclosed additive composition acts to break up longer molecule chainsforming the fuel. The resulting particles, formed by shorter molecularchains, have an increased surface area relative to the surface area of alonger chain. The larger relative surface area enables a betterattraction of negatively charged oxygen molecules which produces a moreefficient and complete combustion of the treated fuel once ignited. Thisefficient method of combustion increases horse power, reduces emissionsof NOx (oxides of nitrogen), previously unburnt He (hydrocarbons), CO(Carbon Monoxide), NO₂ (nitrogen dioxide), NO (nitric oxide), DPM(diesel particulate matter) due to the more consistent uniform fuelburn. Thus, the treated fuel provides improved combustion on each enginecombustion stroke resulting in both improved power and torque, anddeceased fuel consumption. Additionally, the additive compositioncontains lubricity enhancers resulting in minimized wear and tear onfuel system components as well as better misting of the fuel within thecylinder upon injection from the smaller molecule chains and enhancedlubricity allowing for bond breaking in an easier fashion duringinjection.

With respect to the above description, before explaining at least onepreferred embodiment of the herein disclosed invention in detail, it isto be understood that the invention is not limited in its application tothe details of construction and to the mixtures and percentages in thefollowing description or illustrated in the drawings. The inventionherein described is capable of other embodiments and of being practicedand carried out in various ways which will be obvious to those skilledin the art. Also, it is to be understood that the phraseology andterminology employed herein are for the purpose of description andshould not be regarded as limiting.

As such, those skilled in the art will appreciate that the conceptionupon which this disclosure is based may readily be utilized as a basisfor mixing and formulating other fuel additive compositions adapted forcarrying out the several purposes of the present disclosed device. It isimportant, therefore, that the claims be regarded as including suchequivalent construction and methodology insofar as they do not departfrom the spirit and scope of the present invention.

It is an object of the present invention to increase fuel economy andreduce fuel consumption of internal combustion engines using fueltreated with the additive composition herein.

It is another object of this invention to reduce combustion emissions ingasoline and diesel powered internal combustion engines andconsequently, reduce greenhouse gases vented in the exhaust of enginesemploying fuel treated herewith.

It is a further object of the present invention to provide fuel withincreased lubricity and a resulting decrease in engine wear in gasolineand diesel internal combustion engines.

Further objects of the invention will be brought out in the followingpart of the specification, wherein detailed description is for thepurpose of fully disclosing the invention without placing limitationsthereon. The objects, advantages and embodiments of the presentinvention are described in the specification and those skilled in theart on reading such will surely discern previously undiscoveredadvantages and uses which will be obvious subsequent to reading thespecification, claims, or from the practice of this invention.Therefore, it is understood that the invention as claimed and describedor obvious after reading this disclosure, fall within the scope of theappended claims.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF DRAWING FIGURES

FIG. 1 shows a view of a table of the ingredients of the additivecomposition of a concentrate adapted for mixing in a fuel-solublecarrier.

FIG. 2 shows a table of mixture ingredients for the preferredfuel-soluble carrier.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS OF THE INVENTION

As shown in the figures and described herein, the additive compositioncan be provided as a concentrate which may be later diluted using afuel-soluble carrier or can be mixed with the fuel-soluble carrier andprovided in a pre-mixed manner where it is placed in the fuel tank ofthe internal combustion engine.

As shown in FIG. 1, the component additive consists of a plurality ofcomponents mixed in ranges to achieve the concentrate additive mixture.The concentrate additive mixture is then mixed with the fuel-solubleliquid carrier in a ratio of between 9-11 percent of the concentrate tothe total volume of the mixed concentrate and liquid carrier. Forexample between 9-11 ounces of the additive concentrate in a totalvolume mixture of additive concentrate and liquid carrier of 100 ounces.

Currently a 10 percent mixture of component additive concentrate is afavored mode of the additive invention which is mixed with a sufficientamount of the liquid carrier component to achieve a 10% by volume ofadditive to the total volume of the additive concentrate and carriermix.

As shown in FIG. 1, the components of the component concentrate includeas a percentage of the total volume of the component additiveconcentrate, from 36%-56% Acetophenone, from 10%-15% Di Ethylene ether,8%-12% Di Buthyl, 15%-17% Ethyl Hexanol 2, 6%-14% Ethyl hexanoic Acid 2,1.5%-2.5% Poly isso Butylene, 0.5%-1.5% Diethyl Phthalate, 0.5%-2%Ethocyclohexinol and 0.5%-1.5% Diethyl Oxalate.

Lubricity of the concentrate component additive is provided by the Polyisso Butylene which can be treated with a conventional additive such asZDDP to ensure a homogeneous mix with the other components, and Diethyland Ethocyclohexinol which in combination, depending on the intendeduse, may be increased or decreased in the noted ranges. An increase, forexample, may be desired with a diesel fuel where gasoline is theintended fuel for the component additive. Also, for a mode of thecomponent additive with substantial benefits, but where lubricityenhancement is not desired, these three components of the componentadditive may be deleted, although in most cases lubricity enhancementwould be desirable.

The final mixture of additive concentrate, once achieved in the desiredpercentages of components, is to be diluted with a soluble carrier, torender the amount of the component additive concentrate to be 9%-11% byvolume of the total volume of the mixed component additive concentrateand the liquid carrier, with 10% being a current favored amount.

The liquid carrier for the concentrate, is preferably the componentsnoted in FIG. 2 of 52%-57% of Organic or Synthetic Alcohol such asEthanol 200 or SDA-3-A and 34%-38% Benzyl Alcohol as total respectivepercentages of the volume of the liquid carrier. A mid range of bothpercentages of both carrier components is currently preferable. However,it can be mixed to the noted higher or lower limits by volume andachieve exceptional results.

In use, the component additive with liquid carrier mixed to the notedpercentages by volume, is added to the fuel tank of a vehicle preferablyat the rate of one ounce to 10 gallons of fuel for diesel engines andone ounce to 10-15 gallons of fuel for gasoline for gasoline engines.The component additive concentrate can be provided in volume and dilutedin the fuel tank or fuel line in an ongoing fashion using onboardreservoirs of the concentrate and the carrier to conserve on space andprovide the benefits in volume. Or, the component additive concentratecan be provided to local distributors who mix it in the proper volumerelative to the liquid carrier to which it is mixed to achieve the fueltank ready mixture. Finally, the component additive concentrate andcarrier can be mixed in proper percentages of total volume, and thenplaced in containers for use by vehicle owners who would add it to theirfuel tank.

Testing of the component additive invention herein has shown thatengines having the additive mixed with running fuel in the noted ratiohave decreased emissions in the exhaust and increased power withresulting mileage. Damage to components usually suffering from modernfuel lubricity problems have been significantly reduced or eliminated.Consequently, the addition of the component additive to the fuel ofvehicles is calculated to save money over time with increased fuelefficiency and reduced costs for fuel as well as fewer repairs to thefuel and combustion systems of the engine.

The additive composition herein described and disclosed has been inrelation to ratios based on volume. It is readily apparent that ratiosmay be equally well determined on a weight basis or a volume to weightbasis and such is anticipated.

While all of the fundamental characteristics and features of theinvention have been shown and described herein, this invention issusceptible to considerable variation in its practice by those skilledin the art. Therefore the foregoing description is not intended to limitin any fashion, and should not be construed as limiting the invention tothe particular exemplifications presented herein. Rather, what isintended to be covered is as set forth in the ensuing claims and theequivalents thereof permitted as a matter of law. Patentee does notintend to dedicate any disclosed embodiments to the public, and to theextent any disclosed modifications or alterations may not literally fallwithin the scope of the claims, they are considered to be part of theinvention under the doctrine of equivalents.

Further, with reference to particular embodiments herein, a latitude ofmodification, various changes and substitutions are intended in theforegoing disclosure and it will be apparent that in some instances,some components of the additive of the invention may be employed withouta corresponding use of others without departing from the scope of theinvention as set forth. It should also be understood that varioussubstitutions, modifications, and variations may be made by thoseskilled in the art, such as substituting the named compound with onefrom the same chemical group with similar reactive characteristics,without departing from the spirit or scope of the invention.Consequently, all such modifications and variations and substitutions aswould occur to those skilled in the art herein, and especially in theart of chemistry, are included considered to be also included within thescope of the invention as defined by the following claims.

1. A component fuel additive comprising: a first component of saidadditive including a mixture by total volume, 36%-56% Acetophenone,10%-15% Di Ethylene ether, 8%-12% Di Buthyl, 15%-17% Ethyl Hexanol 2,6%-14% Ethyl hexanoic Acid 2, and 0.5%-1.5% Diethyl Oxalate; a secondcomponent comprising a mixture by total volume 52%-57% Organic orSynthetic Ethanol and 34%-38% Benzyl Alcohol; and said first componentand said second component mixed to comprise said fuel additive where9%-11% of a total volume of said fuel additive by volume is comprised ofsaid first component.
 2. The component fuel additive of claim 1,additionally comprising: said first component also including means foran enhancement of lubricity provided by the extra mixture components inpercentages of said total volume of said first component, said extramixture components including 1.5%-2.5% Poly isso Butylene, 0.5%-1.5%Diethyl Phthalate, and 0.5%-2% Ethocyclohexinol.